My day job requires a lot (and I mean a LOT!) of reading: Keeping up with what’s trending in all aspects of global politics, economics, and the environment. But also deep reading in old texts to ensure cultural and historical context.

Connecting dots and data points is what I really do….

…. Not unlike putting on eyeliner!

Also not unlike putting on eyeliner are the ways the news media are experimenting with “alternative story forms.” No longer confined to the “WhoWhatWhenWhereWhy” old-school journalistic narrative, news outlets like The Washington Post are framing stories in all sorts of unique ways, from bingo games to quizzes. I just participated in one such quiz that identified precisely who I am demographically (“single lady under 32 years old making more than 52,000 Euros annually”) based solely on my smartphone’s apps.

Makeup, especially eyeliner, is a form of storytelling, too, isn’t it? Do you want to present yourself as demure, sexy, brazen, schoolgirlish…or whatever? And in telling the story, what kind of eyeliner tools do you use? Pencil? Gel? Liquid? That apparently says a lot about you, too!

A recent study found that women who use liquid eyeliner (as opposed to pencil or gel) are more likely to believe in (pick one):